One Sheffield United career could start as another could end in FA Cup fixture vs Mansfield Town
Sheffield United take on League One side Mansfield Town in the FA Cup third round on Sunday afternoon.
Sheffield United will be hoping to avoid being on the wrong end of an FA Cup upset when they welcome Mansfield Town to Bramall Lane in the third round on Sunday afternoon.
The Blades, who last faced the Stags in this particular competition back in 1988, will be keen to build on their 3-1 victory over Leicester City on New Year’s Day and extend their winning sequence to three matches.
United, who have strengthened their squad ahead of the visit of Nigel Clough’s team, signing Ki-Jana Hoever on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers on Thursday, have been in excellent form at Bramall Lane of late, meaning they will be keen to maintain their positive run of results on home soil.
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Ahead of the visit of the League One outfit, here are five pre-match talking points:
How many changes?
With the Championship understandably United’s priority between now and the end of the season, all eyes will be on Blades boss Chris Wilder to see how many changes he makes to his starting line-up. Last Sunday’s abandoned clash with Oxford United means the Blades will have gone nine days without a game, meaning there should be a freshness about the squad.
However, as much as the Blades have enjoyed a cup run in recent years, there is no doubt chasing down a play-off spot has to be their priority in the second half of this campaign. They have won seven of their last ten league games to reduce the gap to the top six to nine points.
United have a deep enough squad to make changes for the visit of Mansfield, and it is highly likely Wilder will rotate his team, but exactly how much remains to be seen. Jamie Shackleton, Sydie Peck and Chiedozie Ogbene will miss out, while ‘a couple’ more will not be risked.
The likes of Mark McGuinness and Danny Ings will be among those pushing for recalls after failing to make it off the bench against Leicester last time out.
Hoever could make his bow
After arriving on loan from Wolves, right-back Hoever could be awarded his debut for the FA Cup clash with Mansfield. He has not featured in the competition so far this season, meaning he is eligible to play.
Wilder has been desperate to strengthen his right-back options in recent weeks, and Hoever will provide some healthy competition for Femi Seriki, who has been playing with a knee problem in recent weeks.
With Seriki having been pushed to the absolute maximum throughout what has been a demanding period, there is every chance Wilder may decide to give the former Bury man a rest and give Hoever his debut from the start. Like Seriki, Hoever is an attack-minded right-back, meaning he will be determined to make his mark nice and early and showcase what he will add to the squad.
Clough returns
Mention Clough’s name to any United supporter and they will immediately recall fond memories of the club’s run to the semi-finals of the FA Cup in 2013/14. After replacing David Weir at Bramall Lane just two months into the campaign, Clough was tasked with trying to rekindle United’s promotion aspirations.
Although he fell short of achieving that mission, leading United to a seventh-placed finish, finishing seven points shy of the play-off places, he did take them all to Wembley for a first FA Cup semi-final appearance in over a decade.
After getting the better of Colchester United, Cambridge United, Aston Villa, Fulham, Nottingham Forest and Charlton Athletic, the Blades’ fairytale run came to an end at Wembley, being beaten 5-3 by Hull City, who went on to be beaten 3-2 by Arsenal in the final.
Clough, who spent just under two years in charge at Bramall Lane, has been back in S2 since his exit over a decade ago, twice visiting with Burton Albion. He guided the Brewers to a 1-0 win in League One in 2015/16 and then oversaw a 2-0 defeat in the Championship in 2017/18. He has won just two of his eight matches against the Blades in his managerial career.
Bamford’s farewell?
If Wilder has his way, the visit of Mansfield will not mark Bamford’s last appearance in a United shirt. After signing a short-term deal at Bramall Lane in November, the striker, as things stand, is scheduled to play his last game for the club against the Nottinghamshire outfit.
He has been a roaring success since joining United a couple of months ago, scoring five goals in ten games. Having delivered the goods in front of goal, Wilder is understandably hopeful an agreement will be reached that will allow Bamford to stay.
Wilder, speaking on Friday, said: “It's ongoing, we’d all like to get it wrapped up. I think maybe the two biggest actors in this little movie are me and Pat.
“He wants it done and I want it done but the club needs to get the right deal. Pat's representatives need to get their right deal. But fingers crossed, we can edge that forward as we speak.”
United’s recent FA Cup record at Bramall Lane
After bowing out of the FA Cup at the third round stage last season, United will be itching to go one better this time around. The Blades were beaten 1-0 by Cardiff City at Bramall Lane at the first hurdle 12 months ago in what was a low-key contest.
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United, in 2023/24, also exited the competition at Bramall Lane, albeit at the fourth round stage, losing 5-2 to Brighton & Hove Albion. Prior to those successive FA Cup defeats at Bramall Lane, they had won five games in a row on their own patch in the competition.
The Blades last exited the competition at the hands of lower-league opposition when Barnet won 1-0 at Bramall Lane back in January 2019, coming out on top at the third round stage. That defeat, however, did little to hinder United’s promotion bid as they celebrated automatic promotion to the Premier League at the end of the 2018/19 campaign.